Trichloroacetic acid

Status: No national drinking water standard exists

Trichloroacetic acid, one of the group of five haloacetic acids regulated by federal standards, is formed when chlorine or other disinfectants are used to treat drinking water. Haloacetic acids and other disinfection byproducts increase the risk of cancer and may cause problems during pregnancy. Click here to read more about disinfection byproducts.

2017-2019:

FOUND

FOUND ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES

states detected

16,777

utilities detected

199 million

people served

states over health guideline

16,600

utilities over health guideline

195 million

people served over health guideline

Health concerns for trichloroacetic acid

Cancer

Harm to reproduction and child development

State and national drinking water standards and health guidelines

EWG Health Guideline 0.1 ppb

The EWG Health Guideline of 0.1 ppb for trichloroacetic acid was proposed in 2020 by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment as a public health goal, the level of a drinking water contaminant that does not pose a significant health risk.a one-in-a-million lifetime risk of cancer. Values greater than one-in-a-million cancer risk level can result in increased cancer cases above one in a million people.

ppb = parts per billion

States reporting trichloroacetic acid in drinking water

	UTILITIES REPORTING ABOVE HEALTH GUIDELINES			UTILITIES WITH CONTAMINATION
State	Utilities	People Served		Utilities	People Served
California		835	28,356,837			866	29,659,189
Texas		1,859	22,980,532			1,883	23,846,098
New York		933	17,344,289			939	17,413,406
Illinois		1,170	11,439,925			1,173	11,469,081
Pennsylvania		786	10,431,370			788	10,452,370
Ohio		764	9,127,087			768	9,184,237
Georgia		418	8,212,173			422	8,308,979
North Carolina		700	8,222,813			700	8,222,813
New Jersey		295	7,851,730			304	8,034,299
Colorado		427	5,668,665			430	5,767,680
Virginia		423	5,744,882			425	5,755,816
Massachusetts		229	5,410,336			229	5,444,911
Washington		471	4,836,751			474	4,872,548
Louisiana		879	4,817,048			899	4,845,061
Missouri		444	4,052,373			446	4,171,713
South Carolina		294	3,762,703			297	3,828,739
Wisconsin		468	3,616,353			505	3,790,408
Minnesota		395	3,293,692			395	3,293,692
Oklahoma		480	2,924,432			482	3,038,666
Michigan		326	2,740,131			327	2,773,296
Nevada		44	2,624,490			44	2,624,490
Arkansas		520	2,582,549			520	2,582,549
Utah		140	2,491,614			141	2,492,104
Iowa		629	2,148,787			631	2,291,770
Connecticut		137	2,273,859			139	2,285,873
Kansas		564	1,476,672			575	1,584,912
Mississippi		375	1,510,014			375	1,510,014
West Virginia		368	1,463,951			370	1,476,871
New Mexico		103	1,157,457			112	1,317,703
Nebraska		76	1,098,590			79	1,166,557
Delaware		85	829,858			87	830,420
New Hampshire		103	623,187			104	651,187
North Dakota		207	557,543			209	606,286
Alaska		136	571,710			136	571,710
Rhode Island		27	546,021			27	546,021
Montana		161	434,291			161	434,966
Vermont		104	349,293			104	349,293
Wyoming		106	310,601			96	307,072
Hawaii		29	275,714			29	275,714
Maine		55	254,902			55	254,902
Kentucky		6	166,510			4	70,859
Maryland		14	53,577			14	53,577
Alabama		4	38,007			4	38,007
Idaho		5	2,257			5	2,257
Indiana		1	1,350			1	1,350
Tennessee		1	1,075			1	1,075
South Dakota		4	2,306			2	746

LESS

Filtering technologies that reduce trichloroacetic acid

Utilities with the highest amounts of trichloroacetic acid, 2017-2019

ALL UTILITIES

LARGE UTILITIES

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Thorne Bay, City of	Thorne Bay, AK	19 of 19	174.5 ppb	470
Vallenar View Mobile Home Park	Ketchikan, AK	10 of 10	147.6 ppb	225
Hudson Gaars Mill Water System	Dodson, LA	78 of 78	122.0 ppb	660
Vixen Water System West	Chatham, LA	96 of 96	122.0 ppb	288
Red Gate Mobile Home Park	Port Orchard, WA	7 of 7	103.8 ppb	23
Fairview Union Water System*	Coushatta, LA	100 of 100	103.0 ppb	2,205
Tatitlek Water System	Tatitlek, AK	11 of 11	100.7 ppb	95
Sandy Point 480 Water System	Campti, LA	66 of 78	91.4 ppb	675
Elk City, City of	Elk City, KS	23 of 23	86.0 ppb	294
Vixen Water System East	Chatham, LA	70 of 72	85.2 ppb	486
Orient Water Company	Tonasket, WA	25 of 25	84.5 ppb	85
Philmont Boy Scout Ranch - Headquarters	Cimarron, NM	41 of 41	72.1 ppb	2,000
Lowndes County-spring Creek S/d	Valdosta, GA	48 of 48	72.0 ppb	2,959
Lowville	Lowville, NY	26 of 26	70.2 ppb	350
Shasta Csa - Cragview, #23	Redding, CA	1 of 1	68.5 ppb	196
Severy, City of	Severy, KS	22 of 22	66.0 ppb	230
City of Strawn	Strawn, TX	22 of 24	60.7 ppb	696
Sa#16 Sumner Hill-water System	Madera, CA	25 of 27	58.7 ppb	128
Winebrook Hills Water District	Newcomb, NY	17 of 21	58.0 ppb	250
Forest Water Supply Corporation	Wells, TX	46 of 46	57.8 ppb	561
Kake Municipal Water	Kake, AK	19 of 19	54.6 ppb	415
Surfwood Mutual Water Corporation	Mendocino, CA	22 of 23	54.4 ppb	160
City of Nome	Nome, TX	45 of 46	53.8 ppb	602
Asher Utility Dev Authority	Asher, OK	22 of 24	53.7 ppb	375
Klawock	Klawock, AK	16 of 16	53.0 ppb	904
Rye, Town of	Rye, CO	12 of 12	51.5 ppb	745
Village of Sikes Water System*	Sikes, LA	74 of 86	51.2 ppb	690
Tupper Lake V	Tupper Lake, NY	45 of 46	51.2 ppb	5,500
Mars Hill and Blaine Water Company	Mars Hill, ME	25 of 25	50.8 ppb	1,800
Kasaan	Kasaan, AK	19 of 20	50.4 ppb	46
Alberta Water System	Castor, LA	80 of 96	50.3 ppb	1,860
Bethlehem Village District	Bethlehem, NH	16 of 16	49.6 ppb	1,700
Avant Utilities Authority	Avant, OK	23 of 24	49.5 ppb	361
Bellwood Water System	Provencal, LA	52 of 52	48.6 ppb	981
East Taylor Municipal Authority	Johnstown, PA	11 of 11	47.9 ppb	3,152
Lazy S Mobile Ranch	Middletown, CA	15 of 15	47.9 ppb	73
Hydaburg	Hydaburg, AK	11 of 11	47.8 ppb	415
Wanette Public Works Authority	Wanette, OK	23 of 23	47.8 ppb	402
Lakewood Water System	Lufkin, TX	23 of 23	47.5 ppb	42
Pittsburg	Pittsburg, OK	18 of 24	46.8 ppb	280
Angoon Public Water	Angoon, AK	17 of 17	46.2 ppb	450
Md#01 Hidden Lake Estates	Madera, CA	20 of 20	46.2 ppb	162
Jackson Township Water Authority	Johnstown, PA	16 of 17	46.2 ppb	3,198
Wilna T Water District 1	Carthage, NY	21 of 22	46.1 ppb	240
South Tongass Water Utility	Ketchikan, AK	24 of 24	45.8 ppb	975
Lowville Village*	Lowville, NY	46 of 46	45.7 ppb	4,350
Greater Johnstown Wa Saltlick*	Johnstown, PA	7 of 7	45.6 ppb	170
Osage County Rural Water District # 20 (hulah)	Bartlesville, OK	25 of 25	45.5 ppb	350
Oil City Water Works	Oil City, LA	104 of 104	45.0 ppb	2,199
Lowndes County-alapaha Plantation S/d	Valdosta, GA	48 of 48	44.7 ppb	554

* This water utility supplies finished drinking water to at least one other water utility. The purchasing utility is not required to test for or report Trichloroacetic acid, but it likely has the contaminant in its water supply.

Utility	Location	Tests	Average level	People served
Bloomfield Water Department	Bloomfield, NJ	96 of 96	34.6 ppb	47,315
Belleville Water Department*	Belleville, NJ	97 of 97	34.0 ppb	35,129
South Central Water Assn	Raymond, MS	99 of 99	33.1 ppb	11,930
Morrisville Munic Authority*	Morrisville, PA	48 of 48	32.2 ppb	13,342
Springfield Water and Sewer Commission*	Springfield, MA	210 of 210	32.1 ppb	230,331
Mohawk Correctional Facility*	Rome, NY	23 of 24	32.0 ppb	34,775
El Dorado ID - Main*	Placerville, CA	244 of 244	30.1 ppb	112,000
Kensico Water District	Valhalla, NY	92 of 92	28.9 ppb	17,917
Rutland City Water Department*	Rutland, VT	96 of 96	28.7 ppb	18,500
Glens Falls City	Glens Falls, NY	97 of 97	28.6 ppb	14,000
North Table Mountain WSD	Golden, CO	8 of 8	28.6 ppb	10,000
Floyd Water District*	Rome, NY	24 of 24	27.8 ppb	34,560
McAlester PWA*	Mcalester, OK	105 of 105	27.4 ppb	18,206
Ambridge Water Authority*	Ambridge, PA	28 of 28	26.7 ppb	19,500
Leominster Water Division (MWRA)	Leominster, MA	94 of 94	26.6 ppb	40,490
Bedford Regional Water Authority (brwa)	Bedford, VA	115 of 115	26.4 ppb	30,133
Muskogee*	Muskogee, OK	196 of 196	26.4 ppb	38,310
Watertown City*	Watertown, NY	275 of 275	25.9 ppb	29,406
Tarrytown Water Supply	Tarrytown, NY	83 of 84	25.8 ppb	11,000
Chicopee Water Department (MWRA)	Chicopee, MA	160 of 160	25.8 ppb	55,144
Assumption Parish Waterworks District 1*	Napoleonville, LA	192 of 192	25.6 ppb	22,862
Quantico Marine Base-Mainside*	Quantico, VA	100 of 100	25.4 ppb	14,525
Scarsdale Water Department	Scarsdale, NY	96 of 96	25.0 ppb	20,608
Buchanan County PSA*	Vansant, VA	96 of 96	24.9 ppb	19,326
Pa-american Water Co-connellsv	Uniontown, PA	20 of 20	24.8 ppb	11,425
White Plains City*	White Plains, NY	190 of 190	24.7 ppb	59,353
Pittsfield DPU Water Department*	Pittsfield, MA	80 of 80	24.6 ppb	44,737
Okmulgee*	Okmulgee, OK	99 of 100	24.6 ppb	13,495
Newark Water Department*	Newark, NJ	276 of 288	24.6 ppb	294,274
Mt Werner WD*	Steamboat Springs, CO	51 of 54	24.6 ppb	16,980
Fredonia Village*	Fredonia, NY	92 of 92	24.4 ppb	10,984
Walnut Creek SUD*	Springtown, TX	95 of 96	24.3 ppb	23,118
Boro of Waynesboro*	Waynesboro, PA	20 of 20	24.3 ppb	13,200
Brevard, City of	Brevard, NC	51 of 52	24.2 ppb	10,686
Colorado Springs Utilities*	Colorado Springs, CO	12 of 12	24.1 ppb	450,461
Agawam Water Department	Agawam, MA	76 of 81	24.0 ppb	28,849
City of Great Falls*	Great Falls, MT	205 of 205	23.8 ppb	60,000
Guilderland Town WD	Guilderland, NY	96 of 98	23.7 ppb	30,000
Longmeadow Water Department	Longmeadow, MA	13 of 16	23.7 ppb	15,701
East Longmeadow DPW Water Department	East Longmeadow, MA	77 of 77	23.5 ppb	16,162
City of Concord*	Concord, NC	192 of 192	23.5 ppb	107,188
CCWD Ebbetts Pass Improvement District*	San Andreas, CA	96 of 96	23.3 ppb	14,340
Portsmouth Water Works*	Portsmouth, NH	60 of 60	23.3 ppb	33,000
Upper Smith River Water Supply*	Collinsville, VA	100 of 100	23.3 ppb	29,518
Exeter Water Department	Exeter, NH	64 of 64	23.2 ppb	11,000
Highridge Water Authority*	Blairsville, PA	43 of 44	23.1 ppb	16,000
Claremore*	Claremore, OK	105 of 105	23.0 ppb	15,873
Westchester Joint Water Works*	Mamaroneck, NY	183 of 183	23.0 ppb	120,419
New York City System*	Flushing, NY	480 of 480	22.8 ppb	8,958,659
City of Edmonds	Edmonds, WA	91 of 91	22.8 ppb	27,300